THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504180099
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: ON THE TOWN
SOURCE: SAM MARTINETTE
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Every time Ceng Weng gets an order for Mongolian Barbecue he turns in circles.
It's not that this 36-year-old native of Fujan in the south of China is overly excited. Weng simply tosses the ingredients on a circular grill used much like a giant flat wok and walks around it while he stirs the mix with a pair of long wooden paddles, ensuring the vegetables, noodles and meats are all cooked.
Mongolian Barbecue is said to have evolved from the practice of Mongol warriors cooking forage on shields over fires when the Khan's armies were on the march. After ``liberating'' chickens, pigs, cows and assorted vegetables from the local populace, the warriors would chop and dice the goods and cook it all as a one-plate meal.
This is the principle behind the Mongolian barbecue dishes Ceng Weng offers at his Mongolian Express at the Waterside. Served with fried rice and sesame bread, they include a mixed vegetables and noodles dish ($3.95), a selection of beef, pork, lamb or chicken, with noodles and vegetables ($4.68), or a combination of those four ($4.98). Mongolian barbecued shrimp or scallops are $5.68; a plate with both is $5.95.
Daily specials include Chicken Teriyaki with fried rice, a green salad and tempura fried vegetables ($3.68), a vegetable dish of fried broccoli, sweet potatoes, noodles and bread ($2.95), and sesame chicken with fried rice and steamed broccoli ($3.98).
Ceng Weng came to the United States four years ago from China, he said through Judy Grant, who runs the register for him. Grant owned the China Palace on Granby Street for years before that venerable restaurant closed. Mongolian Express (640-8616) also offers side orders of egg drop soup ($1), lo mein noodles ($1.25), steamed or fried rice ($1), and soft drinks and tea. All dishes can be prepared hot and spicy upon request, and Mongolian Express is open seven days a week, the same hours as the Waterside.
Celebrity Night, the one night each year when area politicos, media types and entertainment figures take orders straight from the public at restaurants, takes place a week from today, between 6 and 9:30 p.m.
The 13th annual event benefits the Hampton Roads Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. All tips and a percentage of restaurant receipts will be donated to the non-profit organization, to be used to provide programming advocacy resources and public education. The goal this year is to raise $17,000, according to Betty Wade Coyle, the organization's executive director.
Participating Norfolk restaurants include Darryl's 1930, La Galleria and Uncle Louie's. The Aberdeen Barn, Five01 City Grill and The Raven in Virginia Beach also will host celebrities, and Amory's Wharf in Portsmouth and Kelly's Tavern in Chesapeake round out the list.
I will work behind the bar at La Galleria, from 6 to 8 p.m., where a crew of professional bartenders covers my mistakes so well that even I think I'm doing a good job. The bartenders and wait staff of the participating locations are the unsung heroes of the evening, giving up their tips during the hours of the fund-raiser. Owners of the restaurants are to be commended for making the event possible.
According to information furnished by the committee, 26 children died last year in Virginia as a result of child abuse and neglect. The rallying cry of the evening is ``U Can't Beat Kids,'' a fact that bears repeating. Celebrity Night is a fun way to meet area notables and contribute to a good cause. I just hope they put that gorgeous Jan Callaghan of WTKR-TV behind the bar with me again this year. For information, call 440-2749.
I mentioned the annual Bartenders' Ball recently but had no number for readers to call for information. The event, which raises funds for a number of local charities, takes place Sunday from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Virginia Beach, and will feature 25 local bars and restaurants, four bands, heavy hors d'oeuvres, a complimentary cocktail hour from 7 to 8, followed by a cash bar. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door.
Organizers expect some 1,700 people to attend, and the dress is ``creative black tie with an Egyptian theme.'' For information on the Bartender's Ball, call 498-2546. Tickets are available at participating restaurants, so call to find out the location nearest you. I'm told the event is very colorful. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE
Ceng Weng offers a variety of Mongolian barbecue dishes at his
Mongolian Express at Waterside.
by CNB